The Forgotten Tale of Wonderland
by LightUpTheFics
Summary: Christine is a quick witted, artistic girl who is in an odd relationship with an even odder boy named Artis. Their crooked friendship grows into something more as they grow. One day, Artis leads Christine to the forbidden rabbit hole & after a clumsy mistake, they take a trip down...deep into a world that they have more in common with than they think. *Rated M for future content*


The Forgotten Tale of Wonderland

"I found something! I found something!" Artis said, running up to Christine, wrapping his arms around her waist, and swinging her in a circle.

"Ahh! Artis! Put me down you buffoon!" Christine squealed in delight. Artis lowered her back to the ground and smiled cheekily down at her. "Now..." Christine said, brushing off her dress in a sarcastically proper way. "what is it that you wanted to show me?"

...

The next thing that Christine knew, Artis was leading her somewhere into the damp forest near to her house.

"Artis! This is getting ridiculous!" Christine snapped. Artis had blindfolded her and was leading her along a path that felt quite wet with the rain from yesterday.

"Shush! And don't take off that blindfold until I tell you to! You'll ruin the surprise!"

Christine shook her head and sighed. Artis was always getting her into trouble.

"Alright..." Artis suddenly spoke.

Christine felt his hands at the back of her head, untying the smooth material that covered her vision.

"Where am I?" She said rather loudly as the blindfold was snatched from her eyes and the sudden light caused her to blink rapidly.

"Shh..." He hissed, pressing his index finger against his thin lips, his brow furrowing.

"Sorry!" She whispered shyly, looking down at her feet and then back up at him.

"Come on! This way..." Artis gestured in the direction of a tall, gnarled, ancient looking tree. It's roots had seeped up through the ground and were now entangled in the delicately grown grass. The leaves were nonexistent, the moss had grown up and over the trunk, including the branches, and a small opening was to be found in the middle of the base.

"Oh, for Heaven's sake Artis!" Christine said in hushed tones, glancing up into his cold, blue eyes. "We're not supposed to be here! This is where that girl fell down into that hole and later returned, her mind twisted into madness! Why do you think they planted that tree there to warn people?"

Artis rolled his eyes and walked over to the tree.

"Well, never mind her, she's the same woman who escaped the asylum and went back down there! Besides," his lips twitched and his eyes twinkled mischievously. "I'm sure you'll be pleased. It's surprisingly large once you're inside."

"You want me to go _into_ that thing?" Christine said in astonishment, her mouth agape.

"Did I stutter? I told you I wanted to show you something!"

"Well, I've seen the tree, now let us be off! Please, Artis?"

"Don't turn your nose up at it until you've had a proper look-see!" He winked at her and flashed that devilishly wicked grin, before he climbed halfway into the opening in the tree, and held out his hand. "Trust me?"

"Not really..." Christine crinkled her nose and taking a tentative step back.

"Come on, Christine...how bad can it be?" Artis pouted, his blue eyes flashing as the pout slowly formed into a small smirk. Christine crossed her arms and bit her lip. _Perhaps_ _she_ _could_ _just_ _have_ _a_ _quick_ _look_..._what_ _her_ _instructors_ _and_ _family_ _didn't_ _know_, _wouldn't_ _hurt_ _them_ _after_ _all_..._and_ _Christine_ _never_ _could_ _resist_ _that_ _mischievous_ _smile_ _of_ _Artis_'. Making up her mind, Christine stumbled forward and took his hand. She gasped slightly as he pulled her closer to him.

"I thought you would keep me waiting forever." Artis smiled down at her. "Ready?"

Christine gulped, looking down into the blackness.

"Are you sure we won't...you know...die?"

Artis laughed and squeezed her hand.

"I promise! Cross my heart and hope _not_ to die!" He said, crossing his heart with his free hand.

"Okay...but what do we do now-" Christine broke off as the sound of her sister yelling caught her attention.

"CHRISTINE! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Jill screamed, her eyes wide as they passed over her sister holding that blonde boy's hand and getting ready to jump into the infamous rabbit hole.

"Artis I can't do this, I'm sorry..." Christine looked down at their enjoined fingers. "I have to go." She let go of his hand and turned to step out of the tree.

"Christine, wait! Please!" Artis leaned forward and grabbed Christine's hand.

"No, Artis...I have to go. You know how Jill gets."

"Christine, I- aaah!" Artis yelped as he lost his footing and fell back into the hole, taking Christine with him in his fall. Christine could hear her sister's screams all the way down the rabbit hole, until she heard only Artis' and her own screams.

"Hold onto me!" Artis said, wrapping his arms around Christine. She buried her face into Artis' shoulder and dug her thin fingers into his shirt.

They fell and fell. It felt as if she and Artis had been falling for years as they continued to plummet down into the surrounding darkness.

"Christine!" Artis yelled. "Look!"

Christine opened her eyes, which had been clamped shut, and peeked down at where she thought would be the cold, hard ground. To her utmost amazement, she saw a small string of lights, glowing alongside the walls.

"What in the world..." Her eyes widened as a various amount of household objects began to fly past she and Artis. Chairs, sofas, couch cushions, lamps, mirrors, tables, cabinets, even a grand piano flew past them. "Artis..." Christine said slowly. "what's happening?"

"I haven't the faintest idea." Artis seemed to be calm, but Christine knew from the tone of his voice that he was scared.

"I think I can see the floor!" Christine said, trying to take deep breaths as their decent into the hole seemed to gain in velocity.

"Me too!"

"Artis? What if we keep on gaining speed?"

"I was thinking precisely the same thing. Perhaps we should try and grab something to lesson our impact?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Christine said, slowly detaching herself from Artis and holding on only by her fingertips.

"Christine... you need to let go of me."

"I know that! Don't you think I know that?"

"Then why aren't you?"

Christine gulped, looking down at the quickly growing in proximity, floor. Closing her eyes and clenching her teeth, Christine let go of Artis. It was as if a sudden gust of wind had pushed her from him as she seemed to take flight. She screamed as she was tossed onto the top of a dresser.

"Hold on!" Artis yelled.

Christine looked up and saw that he was almost gliding downward on a table. How does he do that! Anything Artis tried, he seemed to accomplish.

"Try to come toward me!" He gestured at himself and gave her a warm, but clearly worried smile. Taking a deep breath, Christine managed to kick off of a passing love-seat, and she soared into Artis' open arms. He caught her and fell back onto his table. They both laughed awkwardly.

"How long have we been falling?" Christine asked Artis, pushing herself off of him, and sitting up.

"Again, I don't know for sure...but we mustn't have much longer..." Christine shot him a look. "to _fall_...much longer to _fall_." Then out of the blue, they came to an abrupt halt. Christine fell back, hitting her head on the corner of the table.

"Ow!" Her hand flew to the back of her head and she kneaded her fingers through her hair, rubbing the sore spot. Christine then opened her eyes to find that Artis was no longer sitting next to her. "Artis? Artis where are you!" She jumped down off of the levitating tabletop and surveyed the room, looking for him. Turning over a large couch cushion, she found him sprawled on his back, his eyes shut tight.

"Is it over? Are we alive?" He whimpered dramatically, making Christine laughed.

"Yes, you kook! Get up!" She bent down and helped Artis to his feet.

"Well, thank you, Miss!" Artis said mockingly.

"Oh, hush it." Christine smiled. "You're lucky we're still alive!"

"What's that over there?" Artis pointed behind Christine at a small, purple door in the wall.

"As if I am to know!" Christine snorted, walking over to the door and peering through the key hole. "Oh, Artis!" She gasped. "You have to see this!" Artis walked over to stand next to Christine and he too gazed through the key hole.

"My word!" He exclaimed. "Can it be?"

"Artis...are you truly thinking the same as I?" Artis straightened up and looked down at Christine. His eyes twinkled and his chest had began to move faster with each breath.

"That place that that girl spoke of...I do believe that we have found it!" Artis looked back down at the door.

"Is it locked?" Christine asked as he tried the door handle.

"Drat! Yes, alas it is..." With that, Artis slammed his foot into the old wood. With a loud crash, the door broke apart into tiny, colored pieces. "That fixes that!" Christine had jumped back to avoid the flying shards of splinters, but was now again standing by Artis' side.

"It does indeed." She mused, trying to steady her breathing as her excitement continued to heighten.

"Can you fit?" Artis asked her, looking her up and down. "I don't think I will be able to...but you may be skinny enough to actually get through it."

"Oh, well thank you for putting it lightly." Christine said sarcastically, hugging her own thin body. Artis laughed, shrugged off his dark tailcoat, and bent down in front of the door. Poking first his head through, then pushing his shoulders past, his waist, hips, and then his legs. Christine soon couldn't see any part of Artis. A few minutes passed by and Christine was beginning to fret.

"Artis! Come on, this isn't funny! Artis!"

"Boo!" Artis poked his blonde head through the door, making Christine jump back with a shriek.

"Oh, Artis! Don't do that! You gave me a fright!" Artis laughed and beckoned her to follow him.

"You need to see this!" Christine frowned and lowered herself to the ground. She was able to squeeze herself through the shattered doorway, and when she was able, Artis helped her to her feet.

"Are you ready to see it?" Artis said, standing in front of Christine's view.

"Yes! Come on, move Art!"

"Have a look." Artis smiled. He moved out of Christine's way, and Christine was finally able to see the infamous place that was always spoken of in hushed tones. "We did it, Christine..." Artis said, tightening his grip on her hand. "We found it. We found Wonderland."


End file.
